Hi Ivan,
I just passed one of your blues lessons with 82.2%, but the instructors said I need to work on my vibrato.
This seems to be a common problem!
Could you explain why it's SO important to use the wrist, and not the sort of 'wobbly' thing that a lot of us do with our fingers?!
I'm finding it quite difficult, as I've obviously learned a bad habit.
If someone can bend and vibrato quite happily without the wrist, would that not still be ok?
I'll definitely work on the wrist technique - just wondered why it's the recommended way of doing it. Is it a control issue...?

Thanks,
Kevin

hey mate!

Yes it's definitely a very common problem, but vibrato is in essence a very easy technique to master. Couple of months of metronome practice will set you calm as far as vibrato goes. Compare that to other techniques and you will see that it is really not too much time.
The most important thing about vibrato that you should realize is that it is basically very very similar to bending. Vibrato is nothing more than consecutive bends. When you bend the string you do it from the wrist - same goes with vibrato, just repeat the bends. Of course doing many bends at once can put a lot of strain on your fingers, so vibrato should be practiced very slowly at first, and with metronome. Try to take regular breaks so you don't hurt your fingers. In some time the strain is gone and doing bends from the wrist become effortless. It's all a matter of technique.
Doing vibrato from the wrist is not the only way to do it of course, but it gives best control, and very smooth natural tone. When vibrating the strings you always do bends in tempo with the backing track, I usually to eight note triplets (3 bends per click) vibrato.
Just make a small system, and practice vibrato slowly on every fret on the fretboard using every finger. The technique will come very soon.
Also check out this video of mine that I've made some time ago for Toroso, and it concerns bending. I hope you find it useful mate.
Let me know if you need anything else, I'm glad to help!

Thanks Ivan!
Kevin
ps how do I open a .rar file? I've not come across one before! I have Winzip 10, can I use that?

np man, anytime!

You should use 7-Zip, it's free and you can find it here:
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

cheers mate

Thank you!!

Kevin

anytime

Hi Ivan, I tried the link you gave for 7-zip. Downloaded the file and installed it, and I ended up with 'VirtualDJ'!!
Could you tell me which file you used? (I downloaded the one labelled File: 7-zip, Type: .exe).

Maybe the site's changed. I'll have a search around the 'net!!

Thanks,
Kevin

Try here man:
http://www.7zip.com/

let me know if it turns out properly mate

Thanks Ivan, will do.

Rar is very usual way of packing (after zip) so shouldn't be a a big problem. As I said, if you come across any more problems with this archive, let me know and I will try to come up with a way to provide you with the source file. Cheers

I tried the new link for 7-zip and it looks better. Works on my Work's machine anyway...just need to load it onto my home PC.

Kevin

OK man, cool!

This is a great thread.
Hey Ivan, thanks, as always, for reviewing my rec take the other day. I noticed your comment about practicing vibrato with a metronome and didn't know exactly what you mean. So I did a search and found this thread where you explain. ...eighth note triplets. I see.
I'll work on this to see if I can get good at it.

It might be that I'm just bugging in, but I think that besides metronome practice it's really useful to just play (improvise) some melodies and try to implement the vibrato there. I find that if you only train vibrato with a metronome, it results in a kind of a static and (in my opinion) boring vibrato - which is the reason you should also train vibrato with just the plain "feel" of it. If you listen to good guitarists (such as a blues king named Ivan Milenkovich) you'll hear that their vibrato isn't static, as in the speed, frequency and intensity of the "mini-bends" the vibrato consists of does tend to change along the feel. Which is the way I think it should be done.

But of course you need to have the control over it before working out like that, so I'm not saying it's wrong or useless to train with a metronome (quite the opposite, actually). But I'm saying that's not all of it.

Kristian has a good point. Vibrato is an effect applied to note, by varying the pitch. As an effect, there are rules where and how to use it. However, one must learn how to create good vibrato, and then learn those "rules" or use (for example, on longer note at the beginning of a bar, faster, slower etc.), or even break some rules in order to create something unique.

So, vibrato is a skill that needs to be practiced and used a lot in order to sound good. I've found that the best way to increase vibrato skill is through practice with the metronome. After practice came a period of polishing up vibrato during play, but without practice, it won't sound that good.

Hi Ivan, I am prqactising you Gary Moore Lesson Lvl 3, and wanted some clarification on bending vibrato. I just watched your video response. You mentiones that once u achieve the pitch of the bend, the vibrato is applied higher p[itch than the band pitch...if u know what i mean. I want to "Nail" this piece and need to work on vibrato while bending.

Thanks

Thanks for the question mate, I'll answer through message!

I guess the main issue is, accuracy, I can perform vibrato while bending but to reach the bend pitch....vibrato down a touch a few times then reach the pitch again is where I am finding it a bit tricky...I am getting there though...Thanks mate

Just take it slowly, and bend at a time Cheers mate